‘Women’s employment in banking sector falls’

The employment of women in Bangladesh’s banking sector declined 2.52 per cent between December last year and June 2021, Bangladesh Bank’s latest half-yearly gender equality report shows.

Women’s employment in the sector fell to 15.8 per cent in June from 18.32 per cent in December last year.

At the end of June, 60 scheduled banks employed 1,86,784 people (1,57,271 men and 29,513 women). This means, only 15.8 per cent of the workforce were women.

At the end of December last year, the banking sector had 1,83,203 employees (1,54,828 men and 28,378 women), with 18.32 per cent female.

BB data showed that about half of the women who start working at banks quit before turning 50.

“One of the main reasons for the fall in women employees is that there had been no recruitment at the banks during the pandemic,” Mutual Trust Bank’s Managing Director and CEO Mahbubur Rahman told The Business Post. “Another reason is that many women quit jobs to take care of their families,” he said.

At the end of June, 42 private commercial banks had 18,722 female workers (15.72 per cent of the workforce), six state-owned commercial banks had 8,023 female workers (15.87 per cent) of the employees, according to BB report.

Nine foreign banks had the highest 24.77 per cent of female workforce (940).

Foreign banks have the highest number of women directors (16.33 per cent) while state-owned banks have the lowest (4.65 per cent).

Bangladesh Bank’s Executive Director and spokesperson Sirajul Islam noted that the quota system for women in the banking sector had been scrapped. “Now, many women are entering the sector through fierce competition,” he said.